Non-audit of 801 MDAs since 2017 shocks reps

The House of Representatives has expressed grave concern over the inability of the office of the Auditor General of the Federation to carry out the audit of 801 federal agencies and parastatals as well as foreign missions across the world, since 2017.

The lawmakers expressed the concern during the investigative hearing held at the instance of the Wole Oke-led House Committee on Public Accounts.

It thus resolved to summon the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Ben Akabueze; Accountant General of the Federation; Ahmed Idris; Head of Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan; and Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission.

The lawmakers also expressed displeasure over the non-provision of required funds for the recruitment of 611 new personnel needed to bridge the manpower shortfall in the office of the Auditor General of the Federation despite obtaining waiver from the Head of Service of the Federation since 2017.

Oke said, “A very critical professional body is being under-funded. Even in fund allocation for the budget, the Director General of the Budget Office has deliberately underfunded the Office of the Auditor General so that he won’t be able to discharge its duties and uncover all the illegal criminal activities and looting going on in the country.

“On what basis would you be funding agencies that have no value to the economy at the detriment of the Auditor General’s office?

“From the presentation of the Auditor General, it is understaffed; he needs over 600 workers.

“It will interest you that the entire Zamfara State has just on staff. One staff in Zamfara State. How do we run a country like this?

“Even in the 2020 budget, the Auditor General is struggling. Its funds are yet to be released to him 100 per cent.

“There are critical activities of the office of the Auditor General aside from financial auditing. We have programmes’ auditing; we have project auditing; value for money, but the Auditor General is unable to do all these. It’s underfunded.

“Personnel of agencies that you asked Auditor General to go and audit earn better than the personnel of Auditor General to the extent that Nigerian youths are not even interested in going to work with the Auditor General. They prefer to go to the NCC, paramilitary agencies, CBN, FIRS, just because working with Auditor General’s office you cannot earn a living wage.”